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James Maddison seems to be joining the Tottenham squad against Manchester City.
Tottenham Hotspur has received a significant injury boost ahead of their FA Cup fourth-round match against Manchester City on Friday, as James Maddison has resumed training at Hotspur Way.
The former Leicester City playmaker took North London by storm when he arrived in the summer window, scoring three goals and assisting six in his first 11 Premier League appearances.
Tottenham accumulated 26 points from their first ten top-flight games of the new season, setting a managerial record for newly appointed Ange Postecoglou.
However, Maddison suffered a cruel injury during Spurs’ match against London rivals Chelsea on November 6, when he twisted his ankle while sliding on the turf and was forced to leave just before halftime.
Postecoglou quickly admitted that the 27-year-old’s injury was as serious as it appeared, ruling Maddison out until the New Year, and his absence, along with that of several others, coincided with Tottenham’s drop in form.
Spurs suffered a 4-1 defeat in their first top-flight loss of the season after Maddison was forced to withdraw against Chelsea, and they have only won four of their subsequent ten Premier League games without the playmaker.
Postecoglou has been hesitant to set a specific date for Maddison’s return, but he expressed confidence that he would be back with the squad by the end of the month, and Tottenham have now announced the Englishman’s return to practice.
Tottenham shared two separate social media posts, one of Maddison lacing up his boots with the caption “Look who’s back” and another of the midfielder on the training pitch.
Maddison set to return for the clash against the Cityzens
Postecoglou is likely to provide an in-depth update on Maddison during his press conference later this week. However, the former Leicester City player could make his long-awaited comeback against the holders on Friday.
Following knee surgery in early October, Manor Solomon missed Tottenham’s last 15 games in all competitions. Solomon apparently hoping to make a comeback against the treble winners earlier this month.
Spurs fans, on the other hand, are still unaware of the Israeli winger’s condition, and Dane Scarlett (unspecified), Giovani Lo Celso (thigh), Ben Davies (thigh), and Alejo Veliz (knee) will all miss the visit of Manchester City.
Furthermore, Mali’s Yves Bissouma and Senegal’s Pape Sarr will compete in the Africa Cup of Nations knockout rounds later this month, while Son Heung-min is aiming for Asian Cup glory with South Korea.
Additional fitness boosts could still come in the form of Dejan Kulusevski and Ryan Sessesgnon, with the former expected to recover from the illness that kept him out of the 2-2 draw with Manchester United on January 14.
Meanwhile, Sessegnon made his season debut in a third-round win over Burnley following a summer thigh operation, but a “slight niggle” kept him out of the game against the Red Devils.
Postecoglou also dismissed Micky van de Ven’s late withdrawal against Manchester United as cramp-related, but Radu Dragusin is ready to make his Tottenham debut if the Dutchman is rested against Manchester City, who have lost all five previous visits to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without scoring a single goal.
